Logic Pro 9Is the Duet my best choice?

Logician

I'm just wondering if someone can play devils advocate and give me some reasons that another interface might be a better choice for me. Is there anything in its rough price range that competes sonically?

I'd like a little more i/o options than what it has, but I don't want to sacrifice sound quality for it. I don't want to spend more than around $750 though.

I'd like to be able to incorporate some existing outtboard gear which will just collect dust if I go with the Duet. Any suggestions?

What kinda of i/o options do most singer/songwriters find the most useful?

Logician

I have Apogee one and RME Fireface UC.
I use both of them a lot.
If you are on a budget, and can buy only one interface Duet is a great choice.
RME Babyface is not out yet.
However, it has extra 8 channels of ADAT I/O.
How many tracks will you be recording at once.
If not more than 2, go will Duet.
I am so happy with One.
It's simplicity, and sound quality is great.
I am also very happy with RME FirefaceUC.
But they have different uses for me.
I sometimes record my Jazz Trio and I need 16 I/Os.
Jazz needs to be recorded live since players improvise off of each other.
For most of the other projects, 2 I/O will be enough.

Sound quality wise, I can not hear a difference between my Apogee One and RME FirefaceUC. May be others can.
Symphony systems may sound better but that's different market.

Logician

Up until last week i would have said nothing sounds as good as the Duet around that price but the forthcoming BabyFace by RME could, based on RME's fantastic sounding other devices. It's more money, but it does more.

Perspective:
A crappy sounding 16bit/48KHz audio interface with just unbalanced line in/out [no preamps] and S/PDIF cost US$1000 in 1993.

Logician

You could look into a line mixer... assuming we are talking about synth outboard gear? I use a RANE line mixer for a similar situation myself. I just submix the synths and record them when I have something to keep.

Logician

I've never used ADAT before, so I'm not sure what the babyface would need to be paired with for additional i/o options, but it does make me want to find out before I buy a duet. Is there a specific item that is used for this application? How does the babyface handle powered monitors? Are they only fed via ADAT? I'm not too familiar with this type of gear. I've only used Roland recorders to this point.

Realistically, when I record my own upcoming project, I only need 2 inputs, but I do like the ability to use some outboard gear if needed. But most likely, I could do everything I need within Logic and plugins, so it's not a deal breaker. I'm just contemplating any future recording projects that could need more i/o options. I don't want to box myself in, but I'm not willing to get a lesser quality, multi i/o interface. Sound quality is my main concern.

When does the babyface launch in N. america? Is there a released date and pricing... I can't find this info.

I bought an AM2 NuBus card in 1993 for about Canadian$1600. Maybe I'm remembering the exchange rate wrong and it was a lot more than US$1000? If so, then it even more shows how far we've come with price/performance ratio.

Logician

ADAT (more accurately called "LightPipe") is a digital audio optical protocol that passes 8 channels at 44.1/48KHz (and in many cases 4 channels at 88.2/96KHz, or even rarer cases 2 channels at 176.4/192KHz).

One common device to attach to an audio interface with ADAT is an 8 channel mic preamp that contains A/D convertors terminating in an ADAT output. Prices range from around $300 for crappy Behringer to $6000 for great Millenia (or maybe higher?). RME has two such devices: Octamic (around $2000?) and Micstasy (around $5000????). It could be that the Octamic's preamps and convertors are the same as what's in the forthcoming BabyFace, because they use that circuitry in various other devices. Damn nice if that's true.

Background:
ADAT = "Alesis Digital Audio Tape". In the early 1990's Alesis released an 8 channel digital audio tape recorder that used VHS transport technology. They invented their own optical protocol called LightPipe for connecting one machine to another to do digital clones. Then some digital mixer manufacturers in the mid 1990's implemented the LightPipe protocol so you could connect an ADAT recorder digitally, not via analog. The ADAT recorder is long dead, and many people don't use outboard mixers anymore, but the Lightpipe protocol lives on.

Logician

Thank for your explanation of ADAT. I've been confused, because I've known of ADAT tape for years and never knew if ADAT ports just coincidentally shared the same name. Now I understand. makes perfect sense.

Is there any low-cost, quality 8 channel pre's that can be used with ADAT, or is a get what you pay for sorta deal?

Logician

Thank for your explanation of ADAT. I've been confused, because I've known of ADAT tape for years and never knew if ADAT ports just coincidentally shared the same name. Now I understand. makes perfect sense.

Is there any low-cost, quality 8 channel pre's that can be used with ADAT, or is a get what you pay for sorta deal?

I've always been a big fan of the Presonus Digimax FS. I think it's been replaced by a newer model. But I've always found it great bang for the buck, and very good sounding for mid price pres. I set one up for a client with an RME Fireface and we both agreed that we liked the Digimax pres better than the built in Fireface pres. That was totally unscientific and subjective of course - but we did like it.

Logician

Logician

I have the duet and love it. I got it when it first came out. I was looking to downsize because I stopped using a lot of outboard gear moslty rack synths and needed something to travel with and it seemed perfect and is IMHO.
Now not traveling much and just recording bass or guitar or a vocal. The sound is awesome to me. There are a lot great I/O's out there. Chose one that sounds great and fits your needs. For myself two inputs are all I'll ever need. If you plan on expanding get something that has more inputs.

Logician

I'm really diggin' the Motu 828mk3, which I like all it's features, but is it sonically on par with the duet with respect to conversion and preamps? if it's in the same league, this unit is a no-brainer then for me. thoughts?

Logician

Prices range from around $300 for crappy Behringer to $6000 for great Millenia (or maybe higher?). RME has two such devices: Octamic (around $2000?) and Micstasy (around $5000????). Focusrite and Presonus also sell such devices.

Better quality preamps and convertors cost more money to manufacturer, because they use superior parts and design.

There's no big mystery on how to make great preamps and convertors. Poor preamps and convertors (unlike poor software) aren't like that because the manufacturers don't know how to make good stuff. It's that they are purposefully targeting a cheaper market by user inferior parts and design.